Come Alive
by SleepySiren
Summary: Chase brought her back from the dead. He planned to use her for revenge but things never go as planned, do they? When his beloved ghost falls for the enemy, will she be saved or sent back to where she came from? Caleb/OC
1. Purgatory

_A/N: I originally wrote the first chapter to this story with my old account The-Dark-Divine under a different story name when I was in middle school (I am now in college). As things tend to go, I forgot my password to that account and started up this one, so this is the updated chapter to that story. I will hopefully be continuing this depending on the reception it gets so please let me know your thoughts. If you're an original reader, please don't hate me for taking so long lol and if you're new, then welcome aboard!_

Life and death are not all that different.

In life we are born and live until the universe takes its course and we soon meet our fate. This never-ending circle of life plays on repeat for everyone on Earth, no matter what gender, race, social status, or cultural background you are from; in the end we all must parish. No matter what we do, this routine always ends the same. Death.

To some it scares the crap out of people, others find it enticing, and the rest of us just take it as it comes. I was nineteen years old when I died. I had no family nor friends, no funeral, pet, boyfriend, girlfriend—just myself.

I always assumed that there would be some entertainment once we die; that is what we look forward to, isn't it? The dreary gray days were the first things I hadn't expected. The other being the boredom.

I don't really know what happened to me after I was killed—it was a car crash, but we won't speak of that now. All I remember is waking up to this never-ending world of gray on constant loop. Each day is the same. I sit here in this park, waiting for someone to walk by that I may recognize, but they all seem to come and go. Each lost soul leaves eventually, yet I'm stuck here. I was always curious to know about their lives and how/why they ended up here, but eventually I stopped asking. It doesn't matter how we died; what matters is that they're gone and I'm still stuck here on this bench in this stupid park.

Time was nonexistent and I must say that I really missed the bright sun shining on my face, even if I despised it before I met my fate. What I miss most is the moon and stars, gazing down upon me under the midnight sky. The gray world surrounding me laughs at my misery and the guilt that I took it all for granted. I once contemplated taking my own life, but now irony seems to have taken its course. I passed without my consent and now I am here, existing in this in-between world.

I didn't think much of it when _he_ showed up, another soul passing through this park that I can't seem to get rid of. He had a pretty face, I must give him that, and a mischievous look in his eyes for someone who just passed. He whistled quietly to himself, almost _excited_ to be here. I tried to avoid him, knowing that despite my curiosity, he soon would be gone like the others, leaving me alone.

Either his boredom finally got the better of him or he was attracted to my reclusive nature, but one day he joined me on the bench. I sat still with my knees hugged to my chest, refusing to acknowledge the fact that he was looking me up and down. Subconsciously, I pulled on the black dress I was wearing and ran a hand through my dark hair. He must have sensed my nervousness because he chuckled; a deep sound that sent shivers down my already dead spine.

"A picture would last longer," I muttered bitterly, hiding the way his presence was affecting me. Had I evaded male contact for so long that it reduced me to this? I sincerely hope not.

He grinned, flashing his pearly whites. "Now, now Amelia. That's no way to speak to a friend."

My eyebrows probably travelled all the way to Timbuktu with the surprise I felt, but I racked my brain for memory of him. He knew my name and called me "friend." I couldn't remember seeing his face before; surely I would remember someone as attractive as him.

"How do you know who I am? No one who comes through here knows my name." That's true. Lately when I do happen to speak to someone, I've come up with a little game to create new identities and accents for myself to help keep me entertained.

The young man relaxed into the bench, lazily stretching his legs out while giving me an all-knowing look. I didn't like it.

"I know quite a lot about you, Amelia—that's such a pretty name, you know. Pretty name for a pretty girl." I narrowed my eyes at him, but he tapped his fingers on his legs to an unknown rhythm and pretended not to notice, "My name is Chase. Chase Collins, but I'm sure you knew that."

"Sure," I lied, my eyebrows scrunching up together in even greater confusion.

Chase's dark eyes racked over my frame again and hummed appreciatively, mumbling something that I couldn't make out.

"What was that?"

"I said you'll work perfectly."

"For what?" I asked, tensing when he leaned over to inspect a strand of my curly hair between his fingers.

"Revenge." He said plainly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Maybe it was.

"Well…for starters, I can't find a way out of this place so you're shit out of luck with that one and second, why would I even want to help you?"

"That's the beauty of it; I can get you out of here." He had my full attention now and the smirk clearly painted on his face told me that he knew it damn well, too. "We can leave this place and return back to the living. The technicalities are a little more complicated than that, but I'll care of it. All I need is for you to do me a little favor in return."

"I'm not sleeping with anyone," I automatically said, making him bark out another dark chuckle.

"Oh I never said that, but I'll accept it if you're offering," he winked making me scowl. "No, it shouldn't have to come to that, but hey, if it gets the job done then I'm all for it."

I glared at him, but Chase's amusement only continued to grow. He knew I was going to help him, what other choice did I have? There's no way I was leaving this purgatory any time soon and he was offering me a way out. I had nothing here and he was offering me an escape, a chance at a new life to start over. Perhaps if I knew what he what he was asking me to do then I would have told him to fuck off, but there's no going back now.

Mama used to say that I should never dance with the devil…

It's a good thing she's no longer here to see me.


	2. Amongst the Living

" _I want to hold you close/ soft breath, beating hard/_

 _As I whisper in your ear, 'I want to fucking tear you apart.'"_

"You didn't tell me I had to wear a uniform." I frowned, staring at my reflection in the mirror located in my dorm room. I heard a chuckle from behind me and didn't resist when Chase wrapped his arms around my waist, comfortably resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I like seeing you in a uniform," he whispered close to my ear. Staring at the pair of us, I rested against his solid frame, feeling him nibble at my earlobe.

"Stop it, not now." I told him, smacking his wandering hand away from my leg.

Chase and I have become closer within the last few weeks here with the rest of the living. He told me of his powers, explaining how they were responsible for bringing me back. I was a little freaked out when he showed me his inked-out eyes, but eventually grew used to it and his annoyingly cocky presence. He liked to dangle my position from a thread, reminding me of the power he had over me, but that was mostly to get a rise out of me. He liked it when I got angry with him and tried hitting him when he said inappropriate comments.

Staring at the reflection of us in the mirror again, I asked the same question that I had asked plenty of times before.

"How come I'm the only one who can see you?"

"Because I want you to."

"So…you could be creeping on me when I'm in the shower and I wouldn't realize it?"

He laughed. "Yeah, but where's the fun in watching when I can just do this?" He asked, pulling at a handful of hair near the sensitive spot at the nape of my neck, making me gasp when goose bumps covered my arms. Goosebumps! I never imagined ghosts getting goose bumps.

I groaned and turned over in his arms so I was facing him. "Are you sure you want to go through with all of this?"

Chase straightened up. "Yes. They deserve what's coming to them."

"I still don't get why I'm doing this and you aren't. You're physically here, I can see and feel you."

"True, but I'm allowing you to see me and as for feeling, well, only you can feel me because of our connections to the other world."

"By why can others see/feel me?"

"You're a manifestation of sorts," he tried to explain, again, in vain. "The magic I used on you allows it. Now don't ask any more questions, it's just going to confuse you."

Sighing in defeat, I walked over to the nightstand table near my bed and picked up the yearbook, flipping to the page where I had a post-it, marking the page with the sports teams. Underneath the swim team, was an image of four teenage boys standing together in speedos. "Which one is the leader?"

"That's Caleb," he said, pointing at the tall dark haired one. "His girlfriend just dumped him so he's a little heartbroken."

"So I'm the rebound girl?"

"Hmmm not really," he said, lying back on the pillows of my bed. "Sarah wasn't going to last long anyways. I would have made sure of that. It's all coming to plan, now."

I raised an eyebrow at his word choice, but decided to let it go. Gaining some courage, I straddled him on the bed making him grin. "I still don't get how he's supposed to fall for me."

Leaning up, Chase captured my lips in his own in a hungry kiss, running a hand up and down my thigh. We didn't exactly need air, but when we finally separated he smirked. "You're doing a fine job, already."

"Good."

It had been so long since I felt someone's touch and now I was relishing in it. Chase may be a cocky bastard, but he's the only one here who knows what I am. I didn't have to lie to him or hide from my past—he just accepted it. I can also say that his company is quite enjoyable at times, like right now. Oh boy, right now was definitely one of those times.

Sitting up from his lied down position, he kept hold of me on his lap as he wrapped his arms around my waist, possessively.

"I want you to remember something," he started, rubbing his thumb across my cheekbone. "These guys…they're going to try and fool you; convince you that they are good but they aren't. You're smarter than them, Amelia, and you have the advantage here. They're abusing their powers and recklessly putting us all in danger."

Tilting my head to the side, I examined his facial features. "Did they put you in danger?"

Chase licked his lips and after a brief pause, nodded his head. "They tried to kill me."

I gasped and wrapped my arms around his neck to bring us closer. He seemed comforted by my touch and the devilish smirk was back on his face. "Are you sure you have to go to class? We can stay here…" he said suggestively.

"Hey, this was your idea, remember? I can't be late on my first day."

Chase flipped us around so he was hovering above me. "Sure you can. I promise you won't be missing much anyways. Besides, you hate your uniform."

"Yeah, but I have a feeling you like it."

Nuzzling his face into my neck, his cool breath washed over my skin, "I'd rather it be lying on the floor."

I felt his roaming hands start to un-tuck my shirt, but I stopped him and glared. "Do you know how long it took me to iron this?"

He rolled his eyes, "Fine, I'll be careful."

The fact of the matter is that Chase is anything _but_ careful. By the time we collected ourselves (or by the time I collected myself since he was lounging on my bed with his arms behind his head again) it was already nearing the end of second period and I needed to re-iron my shirt. Judging by the time I had left to find my third period class, I decided to forget the iron and head off. I guess I'll just have to play up the new student thing by showing up late _and_ looking slightly disheveled.

Readjusting the Henri Bendel bag on my shoulder (courtesy of Chase), I continued my trek through the empty halls. Spencer Academy was a lot nicer than the public high school I used to go to in Los Angeles, but I liked it. There was something gothic about its architecture and it fit in perfectly with the atmosphere of Ipswich. It was the middle of October and the fall foliage was at its height, the landscape being covered in red and orange leaves. Autumn has always been my favorite season, but since LA isn't known for having that many cold days, I really loved this place. It seemed almost like fate for Chase to bring me here, a location with attractive male witches and cold seasons. What more could a girl ask for?

We decided to be truthful about my past to make it easier for me—or at least as truthful as we could possibly be. Before the car crash, I spent most of my childhood in Los Angeles with my mom and dad. When my mother passed away from breast cancer, my father soon took his own life, too distraught from my mother's passing to continue living without her, even if it meant leaving me behind. I had been devastated at first and tried slitting my wrists, but my friend stopped me. We had lived in a Victorian home in Hancock Park, but eventually I left the house. I was only a teenager and couldn't afford to make the piling up mortgage payments so I ditched the house and made due the best I could.

I hadn't always believed in ghosts. It was in that old home when my "imaginary friend" saved me from cutting open my veins that I really began to believe—he really despised the idea of body mutilation. He had told me of his past and how he had died in the house and was now stuck there. I wondered why my parents weren't there as well, but they hadn't died on the property so I guess they were able to move on into the afterlife. One night when I was driving my car, I was hit by a drunk driver and smashed into a tree. When I was waiting in purgatory, contemplating things on that rotten bench, I sometimes wished I would've crashed onto the property of my old house.

At least then I wouldn't have been alone.

But none of that matters now because I'm back and somehow walking amongst the living and in this private academy. Chase managed to conjure up some transcripts for me and took care of the financial aspects. When I asked him if he stole it, he looked at me like I grew a second head.

"It's my money," he explained. "It's not stealing and even if it was, why the hell would you care?"

That's true. Why _did_ I care? It's not like the police would be able to arrest me even if it was stolen money. I suppose old habits die hard, even if it is the messed up sense of morality I used to have when I was still alive. Regardless, I'm kind of excited to be back at school again. I used to enjoy learning new things and keeping my nose buried in books; they were my escape into other worlds and embarked me on new adventures. I like to think that this is a new adventure.

Chase had given me a credit card with access to money from his "own accounts" to take care of any school or personal things I may want to have. We told the Dean of the school that a family friend offered to sponsor my education after the tragedy of my parent's deaths and the school believed it; they didn't really care how the money got there as long as it sat in their greedy little hands.

"So I have a ghost card?" I chuckled, showing Chase my American Express card. "Do I get _ghoulish_ credits too?"

He rolled his eyes at me, but I giggled at my ridiculousness. I never had that much money under my own name before and it was kind of thrilling.

Anyways, back to trying to find my class. The school bell just rang and within seconds all the doors in the hallways opened and soon I was lost in the sea of teenagers. Looking around, I was happy to see that styles hadn't changed that much within the few months I stayed in purgatory—that's what I calculated it to be when I got my hands on a calendar. I suppose style didn't really matter anyway since everyone was in uniform and despite my dislike for them, I was kind of grateful that I melted into the background. I know Chase wants me to capture this Caleb guy's attentions, but it felt nice without having everyone stare at you.

Of course, by the time I finally did find my third period with all the stupid twists and turns of the school, I was five minutes late and all eyes were on me. The large classroom resembled a college auditorium with the seats rising up towards the ceiling and beside me, I heard the teacher clear his throat.

"Hello, you must be Miss Blackwood, am I correct?"

Prying my gaze away from the zoo of students staring at me, I gave a sheepish smile. "Yes, sorry, I got a little um…lost."

I heard a few students snicker, but I did my best to ignore them. The professor ignored them to and turned around to hand me a spare copy of a book from behind his desk. "We are currently analyzing Shakespeare's _King Lear_ and the tragic hero. Please, take the empty seat next to Mr. Simms and he will help fill you in with any questions you may have. We just began reading it last week so tonight you can catch up with us. In the meantime, you can sit and see how the class dynamics work and I'll be here to answer any questions you might have after class."

"Thank you professor," I nodded and surveyed the crowd to see a boy raise his arm and beckon me over to the seat next to him. Taking him to be "Mr. Simms", I quickly walked towards the stairs, but with each step I took, I felt a magnetic force pulling me upwards. When I finally reached my destination and dropped down in the seat beside Mr. Simms, I realized the force was coming from him. He seemed unaware of it and just smiled at me in greeting. I could still feel some stares peering into the back of my head, but thankfully my pale skin covered the blush that would have formed on my checks if I were still alive. The stares gradually began to waver though now that the professor returned back to his lecture and was speaking again.

"It'll get easier," the dark haired boy next to me whispered with a sympathetic smile. "I'm Tyler, by the way."

"Amelia," I said, shaking his outstretched hand. Immediately he flinched at its coldness, and frowned before pulling his hand away. Looking at him more, I recognized him to be one of the boys in the yearbook photo I had been examining earlier. It explained the static force I had been feeling and I had a sneaky suspicion that I would feel the same electricity when around the other boys as well.

"Were you a new student before, too?" I asked, trying to head my recognition of his face.

"Nah, I've grown up here my whole life, but Sarah was new last year. After a couple weeks they won't bother you anymore, they just want to see who your parents are."

"Tough luck with that," I muttered bitterly. Tyler raised his eyebrows in question but knew better than to pry. To distract myself, I picked up the copy of _King Lear_ and flipped through the pages. I remember reading it before when I was still alive so I was quite familiar with the story already, but it would be interesting reading it again. It was amazing just to hold another book in my hands.

"On Friday we have an essay comparing King Lear's relationship with the Fool and if he is a real character or a figment of the King's imagination, his inner conscience." Tyler explained, referring to the book still in my hands. "You should probably start reading it tonight and pay close attention to their interactions together, so it'll help you start formulating your thesis."

"Thank you," I told him, genuinely grateful for his help.

"You're welcome," he smiled back and I finally got a good look at him. He was probably about a head taller than me and lean from swimming (or at least that's what I knew from admiring that photo earlier), but his face was more mature now than in the picture I saw. His hair was slightly longer and a little unruly, but it suited him perfectly.

Class seemed to carry on in its usual manner and I tried paying attention to the professor, but I was too distracted in getting comfortable in my chair. My legs kept sticking to the plastic and I couldn't get comfortable without having my skirt ride up. It was in the middle of this twitching that a paper plane landed in front of me and I looked around to see a blonde boy with fingerless gloves smirking at me. Tyler seemed to notice the paper plane too because he rolled his eyes, and continued on with his notes from the lecture. I made a mental note to ask if I could possibly borrow them later.

Unfolding the paper plane, I noticed the chicken scratch writing in small, black ink.

 _Hey beautiful, is Baby-boy boring you already?_

Frowning, I grabbed a pen and replied before sending it back his way. When he opened it, his smirk disappeared and he tossed it to the side, grumbling. I heard Tyler suppress a chuckle next to me.

"What did you tell him?"

"Oh just a little friendly reminder, nothing you need to worry about," I grinned before we fell back in silence and listened to the lecture.

I'd soon come to find out that the fingerless glove boy was Reid Garwin, another one of the four boys in the picture. Apparently I didn't need to do anything to try and gain their attention because they were coming straight for me. I wonder if Chase is around here watching or lounging around my room still. He seemed to find great enjoyment in binge-watching Netflix episodes of Sons of Anarchy on my bed. Sometimes he would leave for periods of time without telling me where he was going, but I enjoyed the peace and quiet. It gave me time to think and ponder what he's up to. You would assume I would hate being alone after all that time in purgatory, but I got used to my own company. Even though I don't need to hide my thoughts from Chase, it's still nice having alone time.

My fourth period class, unfortunately, was physics but Tyler (fortunately) was also in that class so we sat together in the back. First, I should tell you that I'm awful at mathematics so the application of math and science together is just a recipe for disaster. I couldn't do it when I was alive and I absolutely refuse to try and understand it now that I'm dead. Luckily, Tyler took pity on me and helped me get through the class—I was mostly just copying his answers, but he doesn't need to know that. To make matters worse, the professor rivaled the Economics teacher from _Ferris Bueller_ in monotone voices! Seriously, the man needed to lighten up a little. I have a livelier personality and that's definitely saying something, especially since you know… _I'm a ghost!_

Alas, the bell signaling the end of class and the beginning of lunch was a choir to my ears. Is this what it's like to be back in high school? To pray for lunch to come so you no longer have to sit in class and listen to depressing teachers? It's only been two periods and this school thing is getting old. I know I said that I was looking forward to it earlier, but man…I forgot how long class could be. Maybe I just need to get back into the groove of things. I would also like to point out that it's my first day, so they really should give me a break.

"Do you want to come sit with my friends and I at lunch?" Tyler asked, watching me with a bemused expression as I hastily packed up my stuff, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Sure!" I smiled. "That would be nice. I don't really know anyone else here. There was that Aaron guy earlier at the beginning of class that tried getting my attention, but I don't think I'd like to cavort around with him anytime soon."

"I understand," he laughed. "I can't promise that Reid won't try flirting with you, but I'll make sure he keep his hands to himself."

"And the others?"

"They'll behave." Tyler grinned, holding the door open to the cafeteria for me. I thanked him and walked inside, impressed by the large space. Tyler led me to the food line where we went our separate waves, choosing what we'd like from the aisle.

With all the money that this school is getting, you would think that they would have Gordon Ramsay cooking the food instead of microwavables, but I nearly jumped in excitement when I saw the dinosaur chicken nuggets and fries. They might have been frozen, but damn, those buggers are tasty. Placing the item on my tray, I continued browsing the aisle and picked up an apple and a can of coke—at least this school is doing something right. Tyler met me at the check out line where I entered my student ID, silently hoping that the payment would go through without me looking like an idiot, and luckily it did. Chase took care of everything.

We walked through the rows of tables and the prying eyes of the students around us until we ended up a table in the middle. There were two girls sitting there and the three other "Sons" that were in the swim team photo. The girls spotted us first, eyeing me curiously, and I couldn't help but notice Reid perk up with a smirk on his face; apparently he recovered from my jibe at his junk size from earlier.

"Hello gorgeous, I knew you wouldn't be able to stay away," he said, making the others groan. Tyler ignored him and introduced me to the others.

"Everyone, this is Amelia. She just transferred here from the west coast so I thought it'd be nice to introduce her to everyone. Amelia, this is Sarah whom I mentioned to you earlier, Kate, Pogue, Caleb, and you already know Reid."

"Hi," I smiled, trying to keep my cool. They all were incredibly attractive people, but they didn't look intimidating. My conversation with Chase this morning came to the front of my mind, however, and I made a mental note to remember that looks can be deceiving. "Thanks for letting me join you guys for lunch. It's too cold to be sitting outside under a tree today."

"No worries," Sarah grinned, moving over her backpack to make more room. "I transferred in last year so I know all about being the new kid on the block."

"Oh yeah, Tyler was telling me. Where'd you transfer from?"

"I'm from Boston and you?"

"Los Angeles."

That seemed to get their attention as they all inched a little closer. Seriously, what's so enticing about LA to out-of-state people? I'll never understand it.

"What made you move out here?" Pogue asked, wrapping an arm around Kate's shoulders. He was quite handsome with shoulder-length brown hair and if he didn't have a girlfriend, I kind of wish he was the one I was supposed to try and gain the attentions of. He was obviously ripped and Chase mentioned that he had a motorcycle—I love a guy on a motorcycle. Did I not mention already that I like _Sons of Anarchy_? This guy is basically the preppy version of Jax Teller.

"I wanted to pursue a better education," I said, repeating the story I told the Provost.

"Why did you wait to transfer now instead of the beginning of the semester?" Caleb asked.

"Personal reasons."

"Like what?"

"Caleb," Tyler warned, glancing back at me. The older boy immediately looked apologetic.

"Sorry, that was rude of me. I was just curious."

"That's okay, you're not the first person to ask," I said, popping the lid off my soda and taking a long sip. When I finished, I took a deep breath and continued with my story. "My parents passed away a couple months ago and I had to finish wrapping some things up before coming here."

Immediately they all looked at me in pity, but Reid was lost in thought.

"How'd they die?" he asked, ignoring the glare Caleb sent his way. I, too, was shocked at his insensitivity but decided to answer anyways.

"My mom had been battling breast cancers for years, but when she finally passed, my dad couldn't take it. He committed suicide shortly after."

"Oh shit." Reid muttered, looking slightly abashed now for asking.

Kate reached over and placed a hand on top of mine, "We're really sorry for your loss. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "I really appreciate that. I used to be really angry with my dad, but it's easier just not thinking about it. That's probably not the healthiest way to cope with things, but it's how I've been dealing with it lately. But enough about me, I'm spoiling your lunch with details about my miserable little life."

"Not at all," Caleb said, a little too cheery, making me laugh at the phoniness of it.

"Thanks for lying, but yeah. New topic, please."

Kate didn't need to be told twice and immediately launched into her story about some girl named Kyra in her third period art class. I started zooming out in the middle of her speech and just observed the others, while paying close attention to my food. I can't remember the last time I sat at a table with others, nonetheless listening to a semi-normal conversation. For the longest time my conversations have only been with ghosts: Tate (my "imaginary" friend) at my old house, the ghosts that came through purgatory, and with Chase. Yet here I was, sitting here in a room full of living, breathing people and eating dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets while they gossiped about some girl's snooty attitude towards a teacher. It felt like a dream—a really _weird_ dream—but still a dream that I didn't want to wake out of.

I know everyone at the table genuinely looked concern about my emotional state after I told them about my past, but I couldn't trust them. Sure they all seem nice and possibly if we were living in another world, then I could potentially view them as my friends, but that will never be. Chase told me the truth; the truth about their powers, backgrounds, and alternative motives. There's no way that I can back out of his plan now, especially because I don't want to get sent back to purgatory. I felt slightly guilty telling them about my parents' passing just so they could feel pity for me and take me under their wing, but they were lying too, right? I don't see them flashing their inked out eyes to the public. We're all hiding our true selves; so maybe what I'm doing isn't a sin after all.

"Amelia?"

Looking up from my plate of French fries, I realized everyone had finished their conversation and were staring at me expectantly.

"Yes? Sorry, I was spacing out a bit."

"That's alright," Caleb smiled. "I was just wondering if you know your way around campus already. I could show you to your next class if you want."

" _Or_ ," Reid interjected. " _I_ can show you around the old place. Golden Boy here has enough on his plate, but I have a slot open in my schedule and it has your name written all over it, gorgeous."

Caleb rolled his eyes making Reid elbow him in the arm.

"Come on Caleb, you got the new girl last time," Reid muttered, causing the whole table to freeze. Sarah looked down at the table pretending not to hear, while Caleb glanced away with his jaw clenched. This was obviously a sore subject and poor taste on Reid's part for bringing it up, but Chase had already filled me in on the couple's romantic history.

Regardless, the tension in the air could be cut with a spoon and I, for one, have never been comfortable in these types of situations so I quickly tried to ease the awkwardness.

"Reid, if you can keep that Aaron guy away from me then I'd be happy to let you escort me around campus."

The blonde boy grinned and stood up from his seat, giving a fake bow and offering his arm. "M'lady…" he mocked in a terrible British accent.

Pogue threw a perfectly aimed banana at his Reid's face making him scowl, but it was enough for the others to snap out of their mood. Sarah sent me a thankful smile and I winked back at her, looping my arm through Reid's so he could give me a tour of the campus. To be honest I didn't have much faith in him showing me where my classes were, but at least it appeased his wounded pride from earlier.

Besides, if he tried anything fresh, I knew Chase wouldn't be too far behind.

 _A/N: Ahh Chase is manipulating Amelia to believe that Caleb and the boys are the real villains! Hopefully Amelia will be able to see this for herself before it's too late. The song lyrics at the beginning of the chapter are from "Tear You Apart" by She Wants Revenge._

 _P.S. Did anyone catch the AHS reference? ;) I'm thinking of adding in a minor cameo from the specific person referenced on Halloween so tell me your thoughts on that, otherwise I'll just leave it alone._


	3. First Night Out

" _Got a big plan, his mind's set/maybe it's right_

 _At the right place and right time, maybe tonight"_

"I hate homework," I grumbled into my pillow the following Saturday. My first week of school had flew by and it became routine to sit at lunch with the Sons of Ipswich, even if I thought their name was ridiculous. It turns out Sarah and Kate are in a few of my classes as well, but I knew not to get too close with them. My main mission here is to distract Caleb and the last thing I need is to hear a lecture on "girl code" about why it's not okay to date other girls' ex-boyfriends.

Chase lounged on the bed beside me, throwing his legs over my stomach. Turning my head to the side, I glared at his arrogant facial expression.

"If you didn't want to do it, all you had to do was ask."

"What are you talking about?"

With a flash of his eyes, my homework zoomed towards his hands and I face-planted again while he laughed. "I could have used a little magic to get it done for you."

"Then _why_ didn't you say that three hours ago?" I moaned, punching him in the arm.

"What can I say? Your misery amuses me," he chuckled, dodging another punch before climbing on top of me and holding my hands above my head. "Again, if you wanted to play rough, all you had to do was ask."

I rolled my eyes and refused to acknowledge his advances, choosing to just stare up at him instead.

"The only thing I want to play with are darts when I throw them at your head; now what are we going to do today? I'm loosing my mind. It's bad enough you didn't help me with my homework and now we're locked up in my room because you refuse to go anywhere with me." Sighing in defeat, I stared at him blankly. "Why can't we go out like normal people?"

"Screw normal people," he scoffed, falling back over to his side of the bed.

"Well what do you do all day?" I asked, resting my head in the palm of my hand with my elbow for support.

Chase shrugged, "I hangout here, take a walk, spy on you…sometimes I just blackout and when I wake up time has gone by. Does that ever happen for you?"

I contemplated it. "Um…sometimes, I suppose. But I have school and I can't afford to miss class so I'm kind of forced to pay attention. Where do you go during your blackouts?"

"Beats me," he shrugged, not really caring to know the answer.

Come to think of it, this was something that I was actually struggling to deal with. At first I thought I was so lost in my daydreams that time would surpass without me knowing it, but the more it happened, I realized I really didn't _know_ what was happening. Sometimes I'd be sitting outside, pondering my thoughts, and then wake up with it already dark outside. As a ghost I'm pretty much an insomniac and can't sleep so it's not like I dozed off; I just…disappeared and came back. Is that what Chase was experiencing? Did we go back and forth between purgatory and the living without even realizing it? Were we going somewhere else?

All these questions was making my head hurt so I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to ease the pain away.

"So what's the status for the week?" Chase asked, ignoring my unease. "Is Danvers falling at your feet yet?"

I scoffed. "That boy's still hung up over his ex-girlfriend and I mean, look at her! She's gorgeous. How is he ever going to fall for me? I think you chose the wrong girl for the job."

"No, no, no. I chose the _perfect_ girl for the job. Your self-doubt is exactly why he's going to fall for you."

"Excuse me? My insecurities are going to lure him in?"

Chase sounded like he was contemplating it, "Hmm in a way, yes. You're not throwing yourself at him or pushing your knockers in his face like these other girls do. You're different (obviously) and he knows that even if he isn't aware of it yet."

"Well yeah, sure, but I just sit next to them in class and eat lunch with them. He's still not falling at my feet or sharing any witchy information. How am I going to get him to open up to me?"

A knock at the door made me jump and I looked back and Chase who rolled his eyes.

"Speak of the devil," Chase muttered.

Climbing off the bed, I shuffled my way towards the door and opened it cautiously. The figure on the opposite side grinned back at me and I opened it wider.

"Caleb!" I shrieked a little in surprise, fully aware that Chase was still lying on my bed and listening curiously. "What are you doing here?"

"Sorry, I would have called but I don't have your cell number. The others just wanted to let you know that we're heading out to Nicky's tonight and were wondering if you wanted to come, unless you already have plans."

Glancing back at Chase and the pile of books, I shook my head. "No, uh, I'm not busy. I'd love to come."

"Excellent," he smiled before looking over my shoulder. "Oh wow, you got a single? How'd you manage to wrangle one of those?"

"Oh uh…lucky chance, I suppose. Do you want to come in?" I asked, hoping he would say no, but he accepted the invitation and stepped through the doorway. His eyes curiously observed the room and stopped on my bed, right where Chase was sitting. Chase seemed to realize it too as he slowly stood up to look at Caleb with his eyebrows furrowed. With a shake of his head, Caleb looked away and smiled back at me.

"Nice room."

"Thank you," I told him, trying my hardest not to glance back at Chase.

"Well I guess I'll be on my way. We'll see you there at seven o'clock then. Do you need a ride?"

"Sure, that'd be great."

He nodded, "Of course. Pogue's staying in the dorms this weekend, so I'll let him know and he'll give you a lift there. I need to take care of a few things at home so I'll see you later."

When he finally left, I looked back at Chase in a panic. "What the hell just happened? Did he see you?"

"I don't think so," he shook his head.

"Well he certainly _sensed_ you!"

"I wouldn't worry too much about it." He said, walking over to my closet.

"How are you not worried about this?"

"Because it doesn't matter. Now, if you're going with Perry then you're probably going to ride on that precious bike of his so a dress is out of the question unless you want to flash others on the road." He muttered to himself, rifling through my clothes.

"Chase!" I shouted, grabbing his arm and turning him to face me. "He might be on to us and you're worried about what I'm wearing tonight; what if he—"

" _Relax_ ," he interrupted, gripping my shoulders. "I have it all under control. Just breathe."

I knew the last part was a joke (I didn't need to breathe), but breathed deeply in and out anyways. It used to help me when I was stressed and I've seen people do it in movies, so I gave it a shot. It didn't work. Regardless, I knew he wasn't going to say anything more on the matter so I let it go.

"I don't think you've ever been this concerned about my clothes before."

"That's because," he said, holding up a top before throwing it on the floor behind him in disgust. "You have to make a good impression with our dear boy Caleb tonight. You said you needed help so tonight you're going to make your move. Nicky's might be a pathetic excuse for a bar, but it's the only place to hangout in town and everyone's going to be there."

"So…I'm guessing I don't get a say in what I'm wearing?"

"Not a chance."

Luckily, Chase didn't give me a skimpy outfit to wear and was surprisingly forthcoming with his outfit choice. He picked out a heather gray baby doll top that was generous in the chest department and tried to give me some leather pants, but I managed to convince him that a normal pair of black skinny jeans would be just fine. He, of course, had fun picking out my undergarments as well since he insisted he knew what would make Caleb happy, but I think he just wanted an excuse to watch me try on different bras. He licked his lips enough times to clear that up, but it did help give me a bit of an ego boost. It's not very often that guys as handsome as him look at me like that—ok, I've _never_ had a guy as attractive as him look at me that way. I know it was just hormone-filled and lacked romantic interest, but it gave me the confidence I needed.

As promised at six forty-five, I got another knock on my door to find Pogue standing in the hallway. Caleb must have mentioned the weird thing he sensed earlier, because he asked if he could come in. Luckily, Chase was already gone doing whatever it is that he does when he's not around, and didn't find anything funky.

"Ready to go?" he asked, holding out a helmet for me to take.

"Yes, one second." I told him, grabbing my leather jacket from the chair and accepting the helmet. "Okay, now I'm ready."

We walked side-by-side down the hallways in relative silence. To best honest I didn't really mind the quiet. Pogue doesn't exactly seem like the type of a guy to be into small talk.

"I'm sorry about your folks."

Jumping, I looked at him in surprise to see him staring at me intently with a sincere expression on his face. We had been walking for a couple minutes and hadn't said a word to each other; that was the last thing I expected him to say. Actually, I take that back. " _Amelia, marry me and travel around the world with me after having smoldering hot supernatural sex"_ would probably be the last thing. Sigh. A girl can dream though, right?

"T-thank you," I managed to say, stumbling over my words. "It's not your fault."

He gave a dry laugh, "Obviously. I know that, but I know how it is. Caleb's dad passed away recently too."

"Really?" Chase hadn't told me about that.

He nodded, "Yeah, he'd been sick for years—like your mom—so we all knew it was coming, but it still hit him pretty hard."

"I understand the feeling."

Pogue stepped forward and held the door to the entrance of the building open, allowing me to walk through first. What a gentleman. I followed him towards the student parking lot and crossed my arms over my chest, keeping the helmet tight in my grip. I had never rode a motorcycle before, but I've always wanted to. It seems now that I'm dead, I'm finally able to check off some of those bucket list items. Does Johnny Depp happen to live in Ipswich too? I still need him a hug from him.

We soon stopped in front of a yellow Ducati and I gazed down at the small seat wearily. One, I was practically going to be hanging onto Pogue's back. Two, there's a good chance I'll fall off and be left in the dust. Eh. Oh well. It can't kill me. The taller boy noticed my weary expression and smirked.

"First time riding?"

"Yup."

"It's a bit of a rush, but you'll be safe. I promise."

 _Oh, will I ever…_

Pogue sat down first, thrusting a leg over the bike and scooting up so I could snuggle in behind him. Immediately his cologne hit my senses and I inhaled greedily, wrapping my arms around his waist and scooting in close. I could definitely get used to this. Kate is one lucky girl, let me tell you. Speaking of Kate…

"Where's your other half?" I asked, fixing the helmet on my head.

"She was out shopping with Sarah earlier and got a lift from her," he shrugged, before turning his head over his shoulder to look back at me. "Now, just keep holding onto me and we'll be there in about fifteen minutes. Are you ready to go?"

My stomach churned nervously, but I could feel the adrenaline start to kick in. I tightened my grip on him and gave him the signal, feeling the bike roar to life and then we were gone, speeding out of the parking lot and onto the main road. For someone who knew he had a new rider, Pogue neglected to slow his speed or take it easy on the turns, but I found myself enjoying the ride more and more with each passing second. Pogue's body kept me warm and the wind whipped through my hair, I felt like I was flying. Lazily, I rested my head against his back and smiled, breathing in the scent of leather and cologne. This was Heaven.

Closing my eyes, I tried to ignore the sharp turn he made making me grip him even tighter. The sound of screeching tires pierced my ears as memories flashed behind my eyes, but I pushed them back. The car crash that ended up killing me had happened too fast, but this wasn't going to end the same. I trusted Pogue; he recovered enough from the turn and mumbled an apology for cutting that one a little too close. I wonder what would happen if we _did_ get into a crash? I know that's an awfully horrible thing to say, but then maybe Pogue could be with me for company on the other side? I wouldn't mind that.

All too soon, our adventure was over and we were pulling into a crowded parking lot outside a brick building with flashing letters spelling out "Nicky's" across the top. We found an empty space and Pogue turned off the engine, grinning.

"How was it—well, other than that turn, but I'm sorry about that."

"It was amazing!" I gushed, handing him back his helmet. He chuckled at my enthusiasm with approval.

"I'm glad you liked it. Kate hates when I take her for a ride on the bike, but I love her."

"Kate or the bike?" I teased, making him roll his eyes and head towards the steps leading up to the bar.

He held the door open for me and ushered me inside. Immediately the voices of teens and pumping of the bass consumed my senses. It was packed! The whole school must have been in here or, at least the senior class. There was a bar with a burly man taking orders, pool tables in the left corner, tables, and a small space available for dancing. The interior wasn't all that great, but it was cozy and a good hangout for teenagers. Pogue put his hand on the small of my back as we entered, leading me out of the doorway so some people could enter behind us.

Again, why couldn't it be Pogue that I'm so supposed to distract? Ugh.

"I'm gonna go play a round of pool with the boys," he shouted in my ear. "Do you want to come or find us a table? The girls might be here already."

I suck at pool.

"Um, I'll go and find the girls."

Pogue nodded and left, going to join Tyler and Reid at a table with Caleb. I watched as the boys clasped each other on the shoulders in greeting and were soon engulfed back by their game. Turning towards the right, I eyed the crowded tables and made out two familiar faces. Sarah and Kate were sitting at a table near the jukebox and looked to be in a heated conversation. A small part of me thought maybe I should have just joined Pogue and the others, but I'm nosey so I found myself walking straight towards them.

"…I know Kate, but it's so hard. I've been thinking about it nonstop and I think it might be the best thing for me."

"What might be the best thing?" I asked, plopping down into a chair across from them. The girls jumped, but smiled in greeting when they noticed it was me.

"Oh hey Amelia," Sarah smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "I've just been thinking about school."

"And?"

"I'm going to transfer back to Boston Public."

" _What?_ " I said, falling back on the four legs of my chair. "Why would you do that?

"It's…complicated. I've been getting really home sick and I—"

"Bullshit."

"Excuse me?" Sarah asked, shocked by my outburst. Ok, maybe my delivery should have been better, but I knew she was lying. It would take an idiot not to realize that this whole conversation has something to do with a specific dark-haired lad over there at the pool tables. I really shouldn't be getting involved with this conversation—I'm potentially crossing that invisible line I mentioned earlier about entering girl world—but she's being stupid. This girl doesn't understand how precious her time here is. I, for one, definitely know the value of one's life and wish I could have done more in my previous one before getting into that stupid car accident. She was lucky, she's here getting one of the best high school educations in the country and she wants to throw it all away because she was "homesick"?

"I said that's bullshit. You and I both know that the reason you're trying to run back home is because of a certain boy hanging out at the Pool Tables right now." I said, nodding my head towards Caleb's direction. "If you were really that homesick then you could drive home on the weekend to visit your folks. Boston isn't that far."

"You don't understand," she pleaded. "It's one thing sitting with everyone at lunch, but ever since Reid brought it up at lunch the other day, it's all I can think about. I'm around him too much; he's everywhere. I can't even come here with Kate without the guys tagging along."

For a few moments, I sat there wondering if she fell down and smacked her head on the ground sometime this week. "Sarah, you said you're on scholarship here, right?"

"Yes…"

"So you're really smart then?"

"I guess, but what does that have to do with—"

"If you're that intelligent then why are you acting stupid and trying to throw your dreams away because of a boy? You transferred here because you probably want to go to an Ivy League, correct? So why the hell would you give that up just because you're slightly 'uncomfortable' around him? If he was stalkerish and acting all possessive after the break up then yeah, I could see why you would be concerned about your safety and might want to transfer then, but if that's not the case, then you seriously need to do some re-evaluating with your life. You came here to _learn_ and reach your goals. Don't give that up."

Kate's eyes bugged out of her head and she had to cover her mouth from letting out a giggle, meanwhile Sarah kept opening and closing her mouth like a fish. She was stunned and couldn't quite figure out to be mad at me or accept what I was telling her to be the truth. Eventually, she just got up, picked up her coat, and mumbled something about heading back to the dorm.

"Wow," Kate said, watching the door to Nicky's close behind the blonde. "That's probably the greatest pep talk I've ever heard. A bit harsh and insensitive…but the message was clear."

I shrugged, "How long do you think she'll be mad at me for?"

"Hmm I think she's been slapped in the face more than anything. Hopefully she'll think over what you said, but you're right. If Pogue and I broke up, I'd be upset but I wouldn't want to transfer schools."

Somehow I knew that Caleb and Sarah's breakup probably had something to do with his and the boys' abilities, which explained why she was always slightly on edge around them. I wasn't supposed to know this though and I'm not sure if Kate was aware of their powers either, so I decided to keep my mouth shut.

The boys took this moment to join us at the table.

"Hey, where'd Sarah go?" Tyler asked, looking around.

"She was feeling kind of out of it and decided to head back to get some sleep," Kate covered, smiling at them without missing a beat. The boys accepted this answer and piled around the table. I scooted my chair closer to Kate and ended up with Caleb on my other side while Pogue took Sarah's vacant spot with Tyler and Reid on the opposite side.

"You look really nice," Caleb muttered, staring at me. Despite this being the goal, my heart still fluttered at his intense stare.

"Thank you," I whispered back, trying to hide my blush.

"I'm starving!" Reid groaned, holding his aching stomach. "Does anybody else want to order anything?"

After receiving everyone's suggestions, he nearly ran to the bartender and told him our orders. The food would be called out within fifteen minutes so an impatient Reid sat down at the table, constantly looking over at the grill longingly. Caleb laughed at his pitiful expression. "Relax Reid, I'll go wait for the food. Amelia, do you mind helping me carry everything?"

"Not at all."

The seats around the bar were already taken with girls scantily dressed, eyeballing Caleb as he passed. He smiled graciously at the girls that "accidentally" bumped into him but generally ignored all the stares.

"You're quite popular around here," I commented, leaning against an empty spot at the bar.

He shrugged, "They don't know me."

"All they need is a pretty face and you're golden, Ponyboy."

"Ponyboy?" he laughed. "Oh god I hated that book."

"It wasn't the worst book ever, but I wouldn't recommend it to anyone."

Caleb nodded. "Fair enough, although Professor Mathews might throw you in the river if he ever heard you say that."

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him," I chuckled, grinning back at him. Looking back to the bartender, I tapped my fingers onto the wood. More students were entering the establishment in hopes of having a decent night out of the dorms and the noise inside got progressively louder. The air was getting muggy with more bodies pushing up against me and I closed my eyes, trying my best not to get claustrophobic. I don't know what would happen if I panicked. Would I disappear or do one of those black-outs that Chase talks about to escape? Desperately, I tried my best to stay calm.

Caleb automatically noticed my discomfort and tried pushing some of the people away but there were too many.

Why the hell am I getting like this? I thought this was supposed to go away when I died. On a side note, do ghosts have a daily newspaper? Because I'm pretty sure I know what today's headline would be if there were one.

Amelia: The Claustrophobic Ghost.

Maybe this could be a real thing; I could create the very first afterlife newspaper! Oh this could be glorious. There could even be an entire section in the back, which allows entries for ghosts to send in their best scare stories! I'm sure there are a lot of fun ones out there. But—oh god, there's too many people. Is it getting hot in here?

I felt a hand on my arm lead me outside and the cool, crisp air immediately made me feel better. Leaning my back against the wall, I lifted my head up to sky, letting the moonlight wash over my face.

"Are you okay?" Caleb asked, bringing me back to the present.

"Oh yeah, I'm sorry about that. I get a little claustrophobic sometimes. It hasn't happened in such a long time though, I nearly forgot about it."

"No worries, there's nothing to be ashamed of. It was getting kind of rough in there."

I nodded, smiling at him. "No wonder why all those girls are smitten with you; you're a gentleman."

Caleb laughed. "My mother will love hearing that."

"A mama's boy?" I gasped.

"Oh don't you start that."

I sent him a cheeky wink, but settled back against the building with a sigh of content. The night really was a beautiful one and I enjoyed soaking up the moon's rays. In purgatory there was neither sun nor moon, just a grey sky that never changed. I love the rain and I like the foggy days here, it showed life and nature's movements. The clear sky tonight though was superb and I could stare at it for years, counting the twinkling stars and wishing I was a part of them, shinning down on those underneath. Is that what the afterlife is supposed to be? Am I supposed to be one of the stars lighting up the night sky, living on the rest of my existence apart of the universe? If it is then man, I was really cheated out of that one.

"Are you good to head back inside now or would you like to wait a bit?" Caleb asked, bringing me back.

"Um, I think I'm fine to go in. If it's too much then I'll let you know."

Back inside we noticed the others had nabbed the trays of food and were already gorging themselves.

"Hey what happened to you, two? I thought you were getting the food." Reid grumbled, his mouth full with a handful of fries. "I nearly had a throw-down with some bitch that tried stealing my food."

"Sorry, it was getting a little too crowded for me and needed a breath of fresh air," I told him, settling back down into my seat. Kate looked between the two of us with eyebrows raised, but shrugged, letting it go.

The rest of the evening went pretty well and I even danced with Kate to a song from the jukebox. She was trying to get the boys' attentions so we may have bump and grinded together a bit—I'll admit it was a bit awkward for me at first but soon got into the swing of things. Chase wanted progress, didn't he? If anything was going to catch a teenage boy's attention then seductively dancing with his best friend's girlfriend should have done the trick. It wasn't even dancing with Kate that got me off but I just felt so…alive. It was exhilarating, feeling lost with the music in my ears and just dancing my cares away. Luckily, the weird claustrophobic feeling didn't come back again.

Eventually a pair of hands made their way around my waist and I continued swaying with my eyes closed. Looking back over my shoulder, I almost gasped in shock when I caught Chase's smirking.

"Shhh," he whispered in my ear, continuing to rock with me. The boys hadn't seemed to recognize his presence like they did earlier, probably due to the large crowd.

"I thought you didn't go out in public," I whispered, hoping the others thought I was just singing along to the song.

"Figured I should check up on you," Chase said, pulling me closer to his chest with a possessive hold. "Couldn't let you have all the fun."

"Mmmm."

Caleb was getting up from his spot now and walking over to me.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself, can I join?" he asked, running a hand through his hair somewhat nervously.

"Sure," I grinned, trying to ignore Chase's hands that were still on my waist from behind.

I can't fully describe the feeling of dancing sandwiched between two boys, especially when you're painfully aware that one is dead. It was almost a competition as they both fought for my attention, even though one was unaware of the other. Wrapping my arms around Caleb's neck, I stepped closer with Chase still attached.

This just got a whole other level of fucked up.

"Let's play a game…" Chase whispered in my ear, causing me to shiver.

"Not _now_ ," I mumbled under my breath making Caleb edge closer.

"Did you say something?" he yelled over the blaring music.

"Oh I just said that I like this song," I smiled, ignoring Chase's grip tightening around me. My back was firmly pressed against his chest now and his cool breath bathing over my neck and exposed shoulder.

"You didn't strike me as a Rolling Stones fan."

"You don't know me very well," I said, mentally adding on that he would never know me.

"We'll have to change that," he winked before laughing. I would have liked to join in on his laughter but Chase was pressing his face into the back of my neck, kissing down the bare skin there. It was becoming increasingly hard to keep a straight face and not turn around and crash my lips against his.

Ignoring him as best as possible, I tightened my grip on Caleb's neck and grinded into him harder making Chase growl at being ignored. Caleb looked shocked but quickly recovered and met my impatient thrusts. Chase's hands slid down and squeezed my inner thighs.

 _Oh fuck…_

Caleb was leaning forward, staring at me with heavy lids and if I reached up I knew I could kiss him. Is this what Chase wanted? Was he trying to drive me crazy enough to make-out with Caleb? I've only known him for less than a week though! Surely it's too early to make-out with him, especially in public like this for everyone to see? It was too soon. If he really wants Caleb to fall for me then it will take a little bit of patience. I can't give myself to him this freely.

Backing out of his grip, I removed my arms.

"I-I need to go, I'm feeling lightheaded again." I muttered, getting away from him as quick as possible. Caleb (bless his soul) looked concern and searched my face for any signs of discomfort.

"C'mon, I can take you—"

"No, no it's fine. Stay. Please, I don't want to ruin your night. I'll see you Monday!"

Without giving him the chance to respond back, I bolted towards the door and maneuvered my way through the sea of people out towards the tree line behind the bar. I sped up my pace to a jog, hoping I could get away quick enough without the others seeing or coming after me. Breathing heavily, I leaned my head against the trunk of a tree, aware that Chase had followed me out and was standing a couple feet away.

"What the hell's wrong with you?"

My head snapped up. " _Me?_ What the hell's wrong with _you_? Did you want me to have sex with him right there?"

His glare turned to a mischievous smirk as he pressed me up against the tree. "I didn't know I had that much of an effect on you," he mocked, running a thumb down my cheek.

I scowled. "You knew exactly what you were doing! Is this just some game to you?"

"I told you; I was just having a bit of fun."

"Why are you even here? I thought you were hanging back in the dorms."

"Like I said, I was bored. We had fun out there though, didn't we? You're always saying you want us to go out together."

"They could have felt you!"

"Danvers didn't. You were distracting his witch-y senses too much for them to work properly."

I paused, "I was?"

He rolled his eyes. "You have the same effect on him as I do with you. What a perfect cycle, isn't it?"

Pff. Yeah, right.

"You know…we haven't done it in the forest yet," he grinned, pressing himself flush against me.

"Don't get any ideas," I said trying to stop the quiver in my voice but he caught it.

"Amelia, Amelia…what did I tell you earlier? Ask and you shall receive." He whispered seductively, bending forwards and kissing my exposed chest. Immediately my hands went to his hair as he worked his magic, lifting my legs and wrapping them around his waist. I kept my fingers tangled within his knots, crashing my lips against his in a needy kiss. It was all too much. The dancing…the teasing...this...

"You're right, Caleb doesn't deserve to touch you." He said, pulling away from our kiss and resting his forehead against mine.

"And you do?"

The devilish glint was back in his eye.

"Of course. I brought you back."


	4. Sunday

" _I feel like I'm just treading water._

 _Is it the same for you?"_

 _\- Antichrist, The 1975_

Sunday mornings are known for being "lazy days." Do you know why they call it that? Because not only is it "the day of rest", but it's the one day out of the week where I can lie on my dorm bed and binge watch the entire season of _Jessica Jones_ without being judged for it. Chase may have dropped a comment about my "stupid feminist show" but he received a pillow in the face for that before disappearing. Do you know what else should neglect judgment? Eating. I lacked an appetite or craving for food, but that didn't mean I couldn't stuff my face with my favorite goodies of the past. In fact, my half eaten bowl of microwavable popcorn with crunch-a-bunch was situated snuggly against my side.

I definitely missed this.

Needless to say, I really wasn't _busy_ when there was a knock at my door around 2 pm, but I was still slightly peeved at being interrupted. Sitting up from my sprawled position, I pressed pause on my episode and shut the screen of my laptop closed. On my way to the door, I stole a glance at the mirror to make sure there wasn't any chocolate smeared across my mouth. I was wearing black leggings and an oversized maroon shirt without a stitch of makeup on, but whatever. The person at the door should expect nothing less for interrupting my day of solstice.

There was another knock and it sounded slightly more frantic this time.

"Coming!" I shouted, fixing my fuzzy socks. The floor's RA is some chick named Jennifer that paid me a visit a few days ago. Her intrusion sounded similar to this in her rush to welcome me before disappearing down the corner and slamming her dorm room shut. I raised my eyebrows suspiciously whenever I walked past, wondering what's so bloody fascinating that couldn't be left alone for long. The slurred rush of vowels and syllables that left her mouth were hardly audible past the introduction of her doing checkups every now and then to make sure we aren't hiding any microwaves in our rooms. I certainly hope it's not her, but just in case: I tossed a blanket over the popcorn maker in the corner.

Swinging the door open, I sighed in relief at the dark haired boy standing on the opposite side. The relief did not last long though and a frown still edged its way onto my face, wondering what the insistent knocking was about. It doesn't look like there's an emergency by the calm expression on his face and pressed clothes. If there were, I'd expect at least a _few_ wrinkles in his shirt. He didn't even look flushed.

"Oh it's just you."

"Ha, yeah. Sorry for coming by without calling (again), but you left in quite a hurry last night and I wanted to make sure you're okay." Caleb explained, his concerned eyes racking over my appearance. My messy hair and bare face must have scared him because he looked slightly appalled. I suppose I should be nicer to him and give him the benefit of the doubt for checking up on me since I neglected to give him an excuse for leaving last night. Still…he interrupted my show at a particularly climatic moment between Killgrave and Jessica.

"I hope I didn't overstep any boundaries last night. I can get kind of carried away sometimes and when you ran out, I—"

"Don't worry about it. Seriously. You were fine, I was just getting a bit claustrophobic again, that's all." I smiled, leaning against my doorframe. Hollywood film critics should applaud my acting skills and dedication to character. I didn't even pause to come up with the lie; it just rolled off the tip of my tongue.

"Oh…wonderful. I mean, not _wonderful_ , but I'm glad it wasn't something I did."

I laughed, "You're off the hook this time. We were just having a bit of fun. There's no need for you to apologize. I'm sorry for running out on you in the middle of our dance though, I can't imagine that many girls have done that to you in the past."

Caleb shook his head with a grin. "I can't say they have; it was like middle school all over again."

"Oh hush, there's a first time for everything and middle school was the unattractive years for everyone. I'd be more concerned if your peak had been during that time."

"That'd be pretty horrific." Caleb agreed, thinking back to his chubbier, awkward self.

"Yuuup," I sang, stepping away from the door to get a better look at him. He was dressed in a casual t-shirt and jeans, but was wearing a long black trench coat over it. His hair was styled and he looked a thousand times better than I did at the moment. I think he finally noticed it too.

"Am I interrupting something?" he smirked. _Bastard_.

"Well it's Sunday so I've been lounging around most of the day and catching up on Netflix shows."

"It's two in the afternoon."

"Your point?"

This boy obviously never met the beautiful world known as television.

"Besides the apology I owed you for potentially overstepping boundaries, I wanted to ask if you'd like to join me on a trip to town. I realized you don't have a car so you may need some things."

"I thought Pogue said you live at home with your mom?"

"I do. Occasionally I stay in the dorm room I share with him here, but that's only if I'm too tired to do the drive."

"So you drove all the way here just to take me back in the direction you came from?"

Caleb chuckled nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Possibly. I guess it was a bit of a shot, but if you want to continue watching your shows then I understand."

Why, God, does this boy have to be so nice and goddamn _considerate_?

"I…suppose I can fetch a few items from the convenience store. I look like shit though."

"You look fine." Liar.

I narrowed my eyes at him and playfully shoved him back into the hallway. "Give me a couple minutes to find some real clothes and I'll be ready to go. I can't walk around town next to you looking this."

"Looking like what?" he asked, a slightly smug smirk spreading across his lips.

I shut the door in his face.

/

I'm not sure what I was expecting to see when we arrived, but I can definitely say that the general store of Ipswich is a glorified gas station with a cute colonial exterior. Seriously, the place is tiny and makes the pharmacy down the street look like a Target in comparison. Do they even have Targets around here? I'll have to make a mental note to research it when I get back to the dorms because their dollar section gives me life. The older man working the register had a kind face though and smiled at us when we arrived. Caleb walked with me around the store, grabbing more snacks that I can munch on in the dorm and an extra set of gel pens. I'm not sure what happens to them but I have a bad habit of losing them after tossing them in my bag.

Some of the students recognized Caleb and nodded at him in greeting. A few girls dared to come up to him, placing their hands on his arm and wishing his team luck for the upcoming season.

"Isn't it water polo season right now?" I asked, tossing a bag of gummy bears into the shopping basket. Caleb offered to hold it for me as we walked down the aisles so I let him. He didn't complain at the excess items but raised an eyebrow when I put a pack of Coca Cola into it.

"Yeah, most of the guys on the swim team play polo during the Fall so we don't have to take another class. It also helps us stay in shape throughout the year so when swim season comes it isn't too brutal. "

"I'm guessing you're one of them?"

Caleb nodded and followed behind me as I got in line to pay for my things at the counter. Two of the girls from earlier stood in front of us with a collection of energy drinks and vitamin waters. I've never been a personal fan of them and now that I'm dead, I'm living up the prospect of not gaining weight. Although…I can't exactly go to the restroom so who knows; maybe I _will_ blow up like a balloon with all the shit I've been consuming.

"Everyone except for Tyler is on the team; he prefers taking an elective in the Fall and just swimming in the Spring. I'm a starter, Reid's offense, and Pogue's the goalie. His arms are longer than the rest of ours," he chuckled, quieting down when I took the basket away from him and put it on the counter to get rung up. Most of the shelves had been cleared and failed to be restocked. I wouldn't have even known about the pharmacy if Caleb hadn't of mentioned it, saying we could go there once I finished collecting my snacks here.

The only real adult in the store was the cashier and I wondered if the locals knew to come here during the week when all the students are on campus. His nametag read "Fred" and I wondered if he was retired, choosing to come back here to work shifts for enjoyment or if he owned the store.

"A lot of food here. Are you kids planning on throwing a party?" the old man smiled ruefully, placing the items into a brown bag.

"Party of one," I winked, grabbing my wallet out of my bag so I could swipe Chase's card. A quick glance down at it reminded me that my name was on it, therefore putting me at ease. It would be suspicious if I had been using a dead boy's card and if the off chance Caleb _did_ sneak a peak, he wouldn't recognize anything funny with my own name.

"Large appetite for a little lady such as yourself."

 _Oh thanks for the reminder, grandpa_ , I rolled my eyes inwardly. I'm not planning on gorging myself full in one sitting; this stash will hold me up for at least a week if I continue eating purely out of boredom. It's bad enough Chase consumed my storage of Skittles and Starbursts. The little wrappers were littered all around my floor! I made sure to purchase the king size bag this time.

"What's the verdict?" I sigh, hearing the machine calculate the cost.

"$56.32."

Ahh! Does he _know_ how much I could have bought all this at a chain store? I love to support little mom and pop stores but geez, fifty bones on a pile of candy is a lot. Chase doesn't seem like the type of guy to constantly check his bank account but I'll have to be more cautious from now on. I'm supposed to be a lowly orphan on scholarship. My current spendings would flush any normal teenager's bank account dry if I kept this up; it was hard enough struggling to live on my own before.

"Sounds like this will be my food supply for the rest of the school year," I mutter, swiping my card and hiding the receipt at the bottom of my purse. The older man gave me a tightlipped smile, the area around his eyes crinkling a bit.

Caleb grabs one of the brown bags for me while I held the other by the bottom so we can put them in the trunk of his car. He doesn't comment on them like the cashier did but there's a thoughtful look on his face.

"If you have something to say, you might as well spit it out."

The tall boy looks on in amusement and closes the trunk, locking the car so we can walk down the sidewalk towards the pharmacy he promised to take me to.

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"No but you're thinking it."

"Does it matter what I think?"

"Maybe."

He grinned as we walked the rest of the way in silence, stepping through the automatic doors into the pharmacy. It had more rows of goodies but I mainly need to stack up on my supply of shampoo and conditioner. I don't know the next time I'll be in town so I might as well get whatever I'll be needing. Caleb trailed along beside me just like the previous store.

"Do you play any sports?"

"I've never really been big in athletics," I tell him, searching the aisle for the shampoo. There aren't that many options but they do have some organic one that smells deliciously like rosemary and pine. I wonder if it's a local brand. Either way, I grab two bottles of each and hug them to my chest to try out. "I don't mind watching them though."

He seemed pleased by my answer and smiled, digging his hands into the pockets of his coat. Juggling the hair products in my hands, I fixed the beanie on my head and wondered down the aisle in search for a face wash. Chase also dropped a comment yesterday about needing a razor so I inspected those too, picking up shaving cream to go along with it. I can't exactly pick male brands with Caleb hovering next to me so I tried choosing women's products that had earthy scents and could pass for unisex. My dad used to use my mom's products all the time, claiming they made his hair soft and skin feel like a baby.

I declined Caleb's offer of getting another basket and let him help carry some of the items piled in my arms. Unlike the candy and junk food, this was all essential. Looking at everything in my arms, I take a mental checklist to make sure that I have everything I need. Yup. Everything seems to be here. A awkward cough brings my attention up to look at Caleb with a frown of concern. The taller boy tilts his head to something behind me while shuffling his feet. Eyebrows furrowing together in confusion, I turn to see a wall of tampons and pads. His cheeks are flaming red in embarrassment and although I appreciate his concern for reminding me of something I forgot, I freeze because I genuinely _had_ forgot. I've been "awake"—for lack of a better word—for nearly a month now and I haven't received any visits from Mother Nature. The thought hadn't even crossed my mind and until I stood there in the middle of the aisle with a blushing boy by my side, I didn't even give any thought to the subject. Another effect of being dead: no menstrual cycles. It's an enlightening thought that I'll never have to deal with tedious cramps again, but it's a reminder that I'm not fully alive. I'm not ashamed to say that Chase and I have gone at it like two teenagers discovering their bodies for the first time, but we haven't even thought about the possibility of children. Deep down I always knew that I'll never be able to reproduce, never have the chance of motherhood or live a full existence. But for some reason, staring wide-eyed at a box of Tampax Pearls, it really hit me in the gut.

"Thanks, but I…I, uh, don't need those." I mumble lowly, staring at my shoes. I couldn't keep the somberness out of my tone and instead of facing him I carry myself to another aisle to pick up a deodorant. Caleb, seemingly recovered from his embarrassment, met up with me at the counter to drop the rest of my items down before giving me some space to recollect myself.

Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath and remain on autopilot while the cashier rings me up and hands me a plastic bag to put all my things in. It's a bit heavier than the junk food bag I carried earlier, but I make do with it. When I turn around, I notice Caleb is standing outside the doors of the pharmacy with a phone to his ear. I slow my walk a little to give him some privacy so by the time I reach the door, he's ending his call and putting the phone back into the pocket of his jeans. His face brightens when he sees me.

"Here let me get that for you," he says, holding the bag for me. _Again_.

"Everything okay?" I ask, inclining my head towards the phone resting inside his pocket.

"Yes, sorry, it's just my mom. She wanted to let me know that she's having dinner at Reid's parents' place tonight and that she won't be home until after."

"Cool. You didn't want to go with her?"

Caleb shook his head with a laugh, "Nah I'm good. Reid won't be there anyways; he hates those things."

We stood there for a moment just looking at each other. Am I supposed to tell him thank you and go back to the dorms now? He doesn't really seem like he's trying to get rid of me but I can't be sure. Caleb's too polite for his own good.

"Thanks for bringing me and helping me carry my stuff around. I promise I didn't mean for you to be my personal mule."

"I volunteered for it."

"True," I chuckled, hugging my arms around myself as a chilly breeze ruffled my hair.

Caleb smiled at me and moved to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, but quickly recoiled his hand when he realized what he was about to do. There's another cough and scuffle of feet but he's back to himself in no time. Standing tall with a smirk crossing his pink lips, Caleb offers his hand in the direction of his car that's still parked in front of the general store.

"Do you want to head back to the dorms or are you still up for that drive?"

/

The luxury sports car whizzed easily over the pavement and empty roads of Ipswitch. Despite the cold, I keep my window rolled down allowing the wind to whip my face. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I've always enjoyed it. Autumn leaves scatter down from the trees and fall peacefully upon the ground, the wind catching some and taking them with temporary flight. Massachusetts is such a beautiful state. Relaxing into my seat, I continue admiring the trees that whirl past, trusting the boy beside me to navigate through the familiar back roads of his hometown. If I had been driving I would have easily lost myself already through the twists and turns, but Caleb remained in control and at ease all the while. The radio played one of the school's music stations, light lounge filling the space. I half expected him to listen to classical as we traveled deeper into the foliage, but he surprised me yet again. I recognized the current song to be from the band _Cigarettes After Sex_. I quirked a brow at it, surprised that the station over here played them. I had seen them perform at a small venue back in Los Angeles and debated telling Caleb about it. He seemed unfamiliar with them though, enjoying it as background music nonetheless.

Between the music and the atmosphere surrounding us, I was content. _This_ is what I imagined when I passed—to be surrounded by trees and lost amongst my thoughts. The gray sky hid the sun, its orange rays tucked away behind a cloud, but every now and then it shined through, illuminating the branches and leaves. Eventually we came to a bridge that overlooked the river and Caleb pulled off to the side so we could get out and look at it.

"Is this where you bring all the girls?" I asked, looking over the flowing river and wondering how long it'll take for it to freeze over. The light reddening on his cheeks spoke volumes and I snickered. "I guess I can't blame you; this is a nice spot. Really pretty."

He agreed and leaned next to me, putting our weight on the cobblestone bridge. "This has always been one of my favorite places. Our families have lived here for decades and it may seem boring to others, but I really like it here. Many of us are too eager to get out and explore the world to appreciate home for what it is."

"You never know what's around the river bend though," I winked, humoring myself with my own references. Caleb smiled but had a confused look on his face. "Wait, have you never seen _Pochahontas_?"

"No…"

"Blasphemy! What kind of Harvard boy hasn't been educated with the classics?"

He chuckled and bumped my shoulder lightly with his. "How'd you know I want to go to Harvard?"

"Lucky guess, I suppose. You look like an Ivy Leaguer. Isn't that the main goal for most of the students here anyways?"

"Maybe not Harvard but… isn't it yours?"

 _No, Caleb, it isn't._

The river streaming under the bridge picked up its pace at the appearance of a sudden harsh wind. My beanie held most of my hair in place but strands still slapped my face and I struggled to keep control of it. The increasingly cold weather did little to bother me, but I rubbed my arms up and down as to not arise suspicion. Caleb moved to take off his jacket and offer it to me although I knew he would be freezing.

"No, really, I'm fine. You'll need it more than I do."

Sighing, he ignored my protests and wrapped it around my shoulders; his fingers brushing against the skin that my shirt remained uncovered. It sent a tingle down my spine and I shivered into his touch, embracing the warmth that emitted from him.

"Amelia, you're cold as ice!"

I shrugged and slipped my arms into the sleeves of his coat. It fell past my knees and bulked up on my shoulders, so I playfully gave a little twirl. The movement made him crack a smile though his face still fuddled over with concern for my wellbeing. No doubt he was chastising himself for bringing me out here and risking potential hypothermia. To make him feel better I compromised for us to sit in the car with the heater on, which he happily relented to.

"Thanks for the jacket, but really I'm fine. My mom used to say it's because of my cold heart."

"Oh yeah?"

"Black as night," I joked, adjusting the fan of the heater so it didn't pelt me with too much air. Caleb did the same and readjusted in his seat so he could face me better. Realizing this was the first time I really mentioned my mom in a while, I looked down at my lap and clasped my hands together.

"Are you okay?" Caleb asked, reaching over and placing a hand on top of mine.

I looked up and gave a watery smile. "I just…haven't talked her. It's hard. I miss her."

He nodded in understanding. "I'm sure she would be proud of you."

 _I highly doubt that, Caleb_. I thought bitterly to myself, frowning at the dashboard.

"Why would you think that?" he asked, making me snap my head up and stare at him with wide eyes. Had I said that out loud? I swear I didn't. At my shocked expression, Caleb looked down and avoided my gaze. His knuckles on the steering wheel turned white in their tight grip as he silent cursed himself. "I mean, it-it's clearly written on your face. You don't think your mom would approve of you."

He was covering his slip up. Had he just read my mind? How the held did he manage to do that? Realizing the danger I was in and how easily I could myself at risk, I did my best to put up a mental wall, blocking out any attempts where he could sneak past the crevices and look into my thoughts. I don't think he managed to do it intentionally, but I can't take any chances. In my mind I imagined my mom and filled it with thoughts of her, focusing on her facial features—her brown eyes, kind smile, dark hair, warm embrace. I surround myself with memories of her, desperately trying not to think about Chase or the car crash.

"I guess I'm just hard on myself," I tell him, thinking back to my mother and what she would think of me right now. "She wanted so much for me and I…I got off track. That's what I meant."

"It's not too late to get back _on_ track though. Look, it's your last year of high school at one of the best private school's in the country. When you graduate here, you can go to any college of your choice."

I hadn't thought about college; I never thought I would ever make it there. For the time I was homeless and went from couch to couch, I abandoned the idea and being dead surely threw that off track. Would Chase even let me stay here once he was done using me? Oh wait, can't think about Chase.

Block it out. Block it out.

"I don't think I'm gonna go to college," I tell him honestly.

"What?" he asked stunned. "You have to go to college."

"No I don't."

"You're one of the brightest girls in our year and you haven't even been here that long! I'm sure the Provost would write you a good recommendation letter if you asked. You _should_ go and get your degree. It's better to get it now then wait until later."

"Caleb, I appreciate what you're trying to tell me. Seriously, I do, but my mom would be delighted if I just finished high school. Sure college may have been a though in her mind, a hope at the very least, but ultimately she'd want me to do what makes me happy. I'd rather take the time to see as much as I possibly can of the world." _Before I'm taken away again_ , I added mentally, but the mind block was still up so hopefully Caleb didn't hear that.

The dark-haired boy looked like he disagreed, but nodded his head. "I respect that. I don't know, maybe it's just because the Harvard plan has been so integrated into my childhood that I can't think of doing anything else."

"That's wonderful though!" I told him. "You have drive and direction; many people would kill to have that. You'll get into Harvard no problem."

"I know, but I don't know if I want to go there."

"Why not?"

"Harvard's a great school—one of the best, don't get me wrong—but if I go there, I don't know if I was accepted because of my talents or because of my family's name. My parents went there together, as did my grandfather."

"Using your name wouldn't exactly be a _bad_ thing," I say, already cringing at the chastising look he throws at me. "I get it that you want to be recognized for your own merit, but you deserve to go to Harvard. It _is_ one of the best schools around and if your family name helps you a little bit more, then so what? You still deserve to be there—and not just because its your legacy but because you work hard and that should be appreciated."

He still looked a little unsure, but agreed with me. "We'll see what happens in Spring when we get our applications back. Are you sure you don't want to apply to any schools?"

"Positive." I tell him, turning to look out the window. The gray clouds were starting to cloud over and it looked like it was going to start raining any minute. Caleb looked like he wanted to say something, to probably argue with me that I should apply to at least one in case I change my mind. It's a conversation I don't want to have though so I tug at the seat belt. "We should probably head back. It's getting late."

* * *

 _Author's Note: Wow! Who went to go see_ Captain America: Civil War _? There were so many great character developments and_ Marvel _is slaying the box office. Sebastian's performance as Bucky helped inspire me to finish up this chapter and I already wrote majority of the next one. So I suppose a thank you goes to him for giving me the motivation to come back and get that done. I'm sorry for the slow update, I've been working on other projects outside of this site but I promise I have not forgotten about this—or my other stories. You'll be seeing a lot more of me._ _If you haven't seen Civil War yet though, I highly suggest you do! Also, am I the only one that ships Steve/Wanda and Black Widow/Black Panther? Ok. Carry on._


	5. Risky Business

_"We need another rush / Something to fill our days_

 _It lies in wait for us / It lives on empty space"_

 _\- Wake Up Call, Nothing but Thieves_

Caleb and I's conversation rang out in my head over the next few days. Our "date", as Chase called it, hadn't gone horribly; in fact it wasn't bad at all. We just hung out and fortunately he was too much of a gentleman to make any moves toward me. I was a little worried with the way we grinded on each other at Nicky's but he seemed to understand that there's a time and place for everything. Perhaps I'm putting too much faith in a boy that I barely met to take me driving out on the back roads of Ipswich, Massachusetts though. He didn't strike me as a killer (not that he could murder me anyways) although looks can be deceiving. He spoke fondly of his family and it was when listening to him that I recognized it, that familiar sense that he would do anything to protect them. From the way he spoke of the rest of the Sons, I knew he perceived them all to be brothers and hence family in their own right.

That's not what's bothering me though.

After I finished my classes Wednesday afternoon, I found my way back to my dorm and turned on my laptop. I've been sitting here ever since. The rest of the people in the dormitories were probably getting ready to walk towards the dining hall for dinner, but I couldn't muster up the desire to go. Columbia University's opening webpage stared back at me in the darkness of my room. I had the lights off in case someone tried knocking on my door, although my blinds were open to let in some of dusk's last light. I kept the lamp on my bedside table turned on as well, but someone in the hallway would be too far away to see its brightness. I had investigated different schools on the East Coast, but I currently was sorting through the Ivy Leagues. The campuses were gorgeous—as they should be with how pricey tuition there is—and I wish my mom were here with me to visit them. She would have loved to walk around them and admire the colonial style buildings.

"What are you doing?" Chase asked, popping up behind me.

"Browsing college websites," I admit without even bothering to turn to look at him.

"Why?"

"Just curious," I shrugged. "All anyone can talk about here is their applications and I figured it would be good to have an understanding to what they're talking about. Besides, rumor has it that the counselors are going to start calling in the senior class to discuss their essays. I can't exactly tell them I don't have one."

Chase wen silent hovering over my shoulder while I clicked another tab that referenced the school's majors. I slowly scrolled down, half paying attention as he didn't move. Eventually, he put his hand on my shoulder and swirled me around to face him. He crouched down to study me and I kept my gaze locked on the bookshelf to my right. Books lied piled on top of each other, courtesy of Amazon delivery and Chase's boredom. Finally, I met his narrowed eyes.

"Liar."

I sighed and threw my hands up in the air in surrender.

"Alright! I was a little curious, but I know it'll never happen, okay? I get it. I just…how long am I staying here, Chase? A month? A year? Then what? Are you going to send me back or will I live the rest of my days walking the earth? What happens when you get tired of me and the school year ends? Are we staying here? Are we leaving? I need to _know_ these things. I don't…I don't exactly have anywhere else to go."

The thought of going back to Purgatory—the never ending waiting room—scared me, but being alone here was worse. What if I do follow the steps of my peers and go to college? I could get a degree. I never thought it'd be possible but I would have one. Then…what? A job? Will I look like this forever and be forced to constantly move so no one asks any questions? Will I even still be here?

Chase stood up from his position on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed so our knees touched.

"I'm not going to send you back. Let's just…focus on the task at hand and we'll take it from there."

The sudden pit in my stomach gave me the sneaky suspicion that these were questions Chase hadn't even thought of. What were his plans? To teach the guys a lesson? Could he…could he bring me back to life? For real, with blood pumping through my veins and the power to age? There are so many questions left unanswered. Maybe he's right. We do need to focus on the present. My mind's swirling enough as it is.

I nodded my head in defeat, eyes glued to my lap. The head ache only continued to grow worse with each passing second until I felt a hand cup my chin, forcing my head up so our eyes met. His were inked in black as they always are whenever he's performing magic and through the connection of his fingers on my skin, I could feel the pounding headache disappear in a fading mist while my body relaxed. All thoughts and troubles of the future went with it and for a while, it was just us again.

"I'm getting kind of used to that," I mumble, his black eyes studying me. "You're like my personal Ibuprofen."

A signature smirk crossed his lips and I felt myself floating off the chair. Squealing, I grabbed onto the closest thing to keep me in place. Him. Arms wrapped around his neck and legs anchored around his waist, we levitated a few feet above the bed. I glared at him, clinging on tighter like a monkey.

"Don't drop me."

"You know I've never been a big fan of taking orders."

Before I realized what was happening, he let go of me but I pulled him along so we collapsed on top of the bed together in a pile of limbs. My body still wound tightly around him, Chase grunted into my shoulder as I felt him harden against me. A smug smirk lit up my own face, aware of his heavy breathing. Whether it was from the use of magic or the hold I have on him, I'm unsure. To test out my theory and get back at him for dropping me though, I grinded myself against him making him growl.

"Predictable," I mumble, pressing harder to antagonize him. The movements were starting to have a dizzy effect on me as well although I refused to show it.

"Do not tempt me, Amelia."

"I'm just having a little bit of fun. It's entertaining seeing you get all riled. Besides, you're always more aggressive after using your magic."

Lifting his hips, he thrust forward, making me take a sharp intake of breath. His hands found themselves on either side of my head after lifting my leg over his shoulder so he could drive himself home making me shutter and arch into him. His mouth soon found my exposed thigh since my skirt had ridden up, biting down on the skin there. I moaned.

"What do you want, Amelia?" he breathed, moving back up so our faces were inches apart.

"Now?" I asked, voice full of desire and want. Surely he could see what I wanted right _now_.

He shook his head and flicked my earlobe with his hot tongue. How did he manage to make my skin burn when our body temperatures could never get too warm? It was a mystery to me.

"After this…after everything here."

It was getting harder to concentrate but I knew he wouldn't proceed further until I answered him. He would just tease me relentlessly. Blinking hard to try and clear my mind, I thought back (again) to my conversation with Caleb. What _did_ I want?

"I want to travel," I told him, sliding my hands up his shirt to feel the muscles of his back. "I want to see everything that I never got to see before. I don't want to go back to that stupid place, just waiting around forever for something to happen, but if I do go back then…I want to make sure I've seen and done everything I possibly can. At least then I would have the memories of it. It would still be depressing as hell, but I'd have something to think about and look back on."

Chase licked his lips and grazed the side of my face with his hand. "Then that's what we'll do. The world will be ours."

His words sent shivers down my spine and I grinned in delight. "Really?"

"Yes," he chuckled. A throaty sound that made my toes curl. "No one will be able to stop us."

 _Us_. I quite liked the sound of that.

"Can we go to London? Prague? Oh! Can we go to Transylvania? I've always wanted to go at this time of year and visit good ol' Vlad's castle."

"Everything and anything you can think of," he told me, his eyes lighting up mischievously as they did whenever he conjured up a plan. I could see the cogs turning in his mind and his hand dipped lower between my thighs but he suddenly paused with a frown. "Transylvania? Could you be anymore predictable?"

He was mocking me from earlier.

"Hey! I can easily advertise a trip down to Salem—it's only a couple hours away; I already checked. At least we'd be able to visit some ruins that actually have more than a couple hundred years worth of history."

"I was joking," he defended with another grunt.

Through our conversation he had stopped tantalizing my senses, slowing down now that he had got his answers. He, ironically, liked transparency. He would hardly ever speak about his thoughts but he didn't like being left in the dark when it came to mine. Occasionally he asked for my opinions on the most random of topics for debates. I think it gave him something to mule over when I was off in class or hanging out with the Sons.

I settled further back into the pillows on my bed and he readjusted himself, our legs still tangled together. Leaning forward, he inhaled a deep breath, taking in the scent of my hair. I washed it this morning so it still smelled heavily of my recently purchased shampoo and conditioner, but I knew his thoughts went further than my body's cleansing. He had joined me in the shower after all.

I had woken up later that usual this morning, deciding to skip first period all together for the second time within the past two weeks. I'm sure my photography teacher would not be happy with me for purposely choosing to bypass her class but I didn't really care enough to muster up an excuse. We shared cameras with other students in the class and it wouldn't be my turn until tomorrow anyways. I told Chase this when I finally managed to climb out of bed and he dropped a mumbled comment of buying me one of my own so I wouldn't have to share. I'm not sure if he remembered his promise, although I wouldn't complain if he did. It'd be nice to have a camera of my own to use and take off campus. I could make it somewhat of a hobby, giving me something else to do with my time here. Mom would frown if she knew of all the things Chase had bought for me already. I mostly focused purely on the necessities: some clothes, shoes, a backpack, school supplies. It was his suggestion to go towards the expensive high-end stores.

"You won't get through a single day there if you're not dressed like the others," he said as he sat outside the dressing him during one of our shopping trips. "It'll be a feeding frenzy and they'll be more than happy to eat you up." We both hated the mall so we got in and out as quickly as we could, but the total charge on the card nearly had me pass out on the spot.

Sunday night when I came back to the dorms with my bags full of goodies he looked more than delighted to devour our latest hoard of snacks. I didn't want him to feel like I was taking advantage of him though, so I admitted to the cost of it all. Instead of getting angry though, he only waved his hand dismissively.

"No one else is using the money."

I wonder how much he actually _has_ in his accounts. He certainly doesn't seem worried about the well running dry, however it's something that I can't help but think about. I would never ask him as to how much money he has but the last thing we need are two broke ghosts. We already have one broke ghost (me) so we don't need another one.

Anyways, the girls' bathroom had been empty when I made my way down there while everyone else attended their first period courses this morning. Chase followed me, locking the door behind us and jumping inside. There was no point in him going over to the guys' when I had the toiletries in my bag so he thought he would further share by "saving" water. We must not have been the only ones still in the dorms though because half way through, someone started banging on the door and yelling curses. I covered my mouth to hide a nervous giggle, but Chase wouldn't let me open the door. He only grinned when the banging continued for another minute. The hot steam from the shower quickly rose around us, fogging up all the mirrors. Eventually when we were all finished and clean, I wrapped a towel around myself and unlocked the door.

A girl stood there furiously, tapping her foot impatiently on the floor and swinging her toothbrush back and forth. Toothpaste rested in her other hand. She must have left to apply some rushed makeup in her dorm before coming back here.

"You're not supposed to lock the door," she scowled.

"Sorry, I must have forgot." I said, sheepishly.

She glared at me and looked past my shoulder to the steam-filled bathroom with a frown before freezing. I knew Chase was still in there drying off and by the widening of the girl's eyes, I knew she must have caught sight of him. Opening her mouth to say some retort—no doubt about boys not allowed in the showers—she closed it. The girl blinked hard a couple times and finally shook her head, muttering something about needing caffeine. I kept my poker face and waited for her to gather her bearings, knowing that he must have gone invisible again.

"I-I have to hurry. Next time don't forget that others live here too. It would be nice if we could _all_ use the showers," she grumbled, pushing past me to enter the steam-clouded bathroom. I cringed as she moved further away, knowing that she was right. It was rude of us to keep it shut and I probably would have been pissed off too, but Chase wasn't supposed to be in there. I couldn't let someone see him. And hey, she should have been in class already.

The rest of the day had gone normally. I fell into an easy routine of sitting with Kate and the Sons at lunch or walking with them to classes. Sarah avoided me. I would catch her whispering to Kate in class and walk with her to the dining hall, but she would quickly get some food and retreat towards the safety of the library after mumbling something about a big test coming up. Many of us shared classes so I'm not sure the others bought into it, but I knew the real reason. I hadn't expected her to be so upset by what I had told her on the weekend, yet I don't regret it. The girl needed a wake up call. I can only hope that she takes it with pride but if not then that's her loss. I did my part.

 _Can I go to Heaven now? Haha. Just kidding. But no, really, can I?_

Humming in content as Chase's breath tickled my ear, I relaxed into his hold. I trusted him to take care of me. I believed his words and his promises, but what other choice do I have? He chose me and now I am here. I owed him my life for that and now it was his. He could have been ruthless and a million other horrible things, yet he wasn't. We bantered. We kissed. We avoided each other. We rekindled in the sheets of my bed. That was our relationship.

Someone looking in from the outside might not say that it's healthy, but there's nothing normal about us so why should we abide by society's conventions? He's a witch turned ghost that still has his powers. I'm a ghost that found myself along for the ride. I don't love him. He doesn't love me. We're companions in this twisted world full of the supernatural. The explanations and nature of it all will never make sense to me, yet we are here and right now with him holding me, I hope to God that his words are true. If we can do this and pull off whatever his plan is then we will leave and coexist here for as long as possible. I don't want to go back to the in-between world. It was my own personal Hell.

Is that it then? Had I died and gone to Hell? I had never been a firm believer in religion nor do I remember much from the Sunday services I was forced to attend with my grandparents when I was a child. A priest would definitely not condone my current actions. I defied the laws of death which I'm sure is a sin in itself. Should we also mention pre-marital sex? Is that still considered a sin? I don't know.

I just want to feel alive.

"Take me," I whispered, pulling at Chase's shirt. We hadn't done anything in the showers other than the usual touching and I was craving the feel of him.

"What was that?" he asked, moving down my chest. His cool breath fanned my center and I nearly convulsed.

" _Take me._ Please."

Darting his tongue out and swiping the length of my underwear, I edged my lower body up towards him. God, I wanted him. When had the tides turned? _I_ had been the one in control…

"Naughty girls don't get what they want."

"Huh?" I breathed, my voice raw and shaky with desire. A final smirk and the smug bastard was gone, disappearing from my dorm room and leaving me a sweaty mess on my bed. Squeezing the fabric of the comforter between my fingers I groaned in frustration, still feeling the heat of him.

Damn him. He loved playing his mind games; I should have realized it sooner. He just wanted to know my thoughts and taint them back towards him. I had teased him and it was a mistake—he was the puppet master. Turning to my side so I could lie in the fetal position, I waited for this to pass and for my hormones to get in check. I could try to remedy the situation myself but it wouldn't be enough. I was already too far gone.

"Fuck," I swore, sitting up and crawling off the bed. The blaring red numbers on the alarm clock on my bedside table said _7:10 pm_. Marching towards my hamper, I pulled off my soaked panties and dropped them inside. I quickly looked in the mirror, fixed my skirt, and made sure the hallway's coast was clear. From what I could tell, it was empty, especially now since dinner was usually served at _6:45_ _pm_ on weekdays.

Slipping out the door without locking it, I quietly make my way down the hallway. This is a horrible idea. Absolute shit. It's incredibly stupid and reckless but Chase drove me crazy and I can't let him win this time. I'm not his to do with as whatever he pleases. He may have brought me back but I can make my own decisions even if I want to shoot myself in the head just thinking about it. He would know of my indiscretions, I have no doubt about that. But what would he do?

 _He hasn't even seen the beginning of naughty._

I impatiently knock on the fourth door, wondering if he's even in his dorm. The bastard better be. After a few knocks, I hear a shuffling from the other side and I look around anxiously. The hallway's still clear.

Running a towel through his damp curly hair, Aaron looked at me in surprise. The expression quickly shifted to one of arrogance and smug pride. He knew. I didn't have to say a single word, but like a primal animal he knew. Whether it was the wrinkled clothes, wild hair, or darkened look in my eyes, he knew exactly why I was there. I thought about leaving. No one had seen me come and I could still back out of this with some bullshit excuse of needing to borrow his notes. I had never been one to quit something though once I made up my mind. Somehow I could feel Chase, practically daring me to go along with it now. He didn't think I would.

I checked one more time to make sure the hallway was clear before pushing Abbott out of the way and barging into his room.

"Close the door if you know what's good for you."

"My pleasure."

/

A week went by. Then another.

I knew Chase was growing restless now without anything to do. He didn't like feeling useless and Netflix wasn't keeping his attention anymore. School was piling up and I had to keep my head in the books, writing essay after essay. These preparatory schools are no joke. The workload here is intense and it kind of makes me miss my old public school. I had taken a couple honors and AP classes during my time there so this wasn't that much of a stretch but it doesn't mean that I have to like it. When I was really fed up with it all, I would ask Chase to do it for me. I normally did it as best as I could myself because _I_ was the one taking the exams, but a little cheating here and there never hurt anyone.

My ghost companion disappeared a lot during those weeks. He would angrily pace back and forth across my floor, pulling on his hair in irritation before leaving within the blink of an eye. Surprisingly he didn't comment on my stunt with Aaron other than a scoff that I could have done better. It had the desired effect though because on the few days after the incident, he got possessive and hardly let me leave his sight. I heard a rumor though that during one of the guys' water polo practice Aaron got a raging boner that wouldn't go away and was laughed by the rest of the team, especially when a box of steroids fell out of his locker. He'd apparently been sent up to the Provost's for that, but the nurse couldn't find anything in a blood sample so he was clean. I had a sneaky suspicion on who was responsible for that incident, especially when a wide smirk covered his face for nearly an hour afterward.

Still, my attention was distracted with school and keeping up appearances with the Sons. I knew I had to try harder to spend time with them. Aaron, luckily, knew when to keep his mouth shut and I hadn't heard a word about our indiscretion around the school. When I returned to my dorm room later that night, I had panicked and worried that I fucked everything up. My pride had gotten in the way of my mission here, but nothing was said. I watched him in class but other than a discrete wink sent my way, he kept quiet about the whole thing. I had told him not to say a word about it, to keep it a secret. For some reason unbeknownst to me, he actually kept it. I tried to push it all to the back of my thoughts although something told me to remain on my guard around him. He could use this against me if he really wanted to.

Meanwhile, things went back to normal. Chase would grow impatient with me when I couldn't entertain him and he would often leave. I think he would teleport to other places to keep his mind off things but he said he had to keep his magic limited so the other won't notice him. That's what bothered him the most, constantly being on guard so his plan wouldn't fall apart. He couldn't risk being recognized, he said. I just shrugged and mumbled an apology for his loss. I've never had such powers so I can't really relate to his dilemma. I knew it must be tiring though, to constantly be in hiding and only having me as a conversationalist.

I hung out with Caleb a few times during those two weeks. We had a study session, a coffee break, and went to the movies with the rest of the group last Saturday. The small independent theater of Ipswich apparently closed down for repairs last year and had not been reopened for some time so we all piled into two cars and drove to the nearest town to see the latest _Marvel_ film there. It was nice getting out with all of them and actually feeling like a teenager for once. We did the full movie-going experience: buying popcorn, candy, large sodas with extra straws, etc. I offered to pay for my share but Caleb declined, saying it was his treat. I had blushed profusely and tried to decline the offer, especially since Sarah had gone too, but Tyler offered to comp her at the same time. We both looked at each other in bewilderment but the guys just shrugged it off.

"Pogue's buying Kate's," Tyler reasoned, handing over his cash to the man behind the concession stand.

"Yeah but they're a _couple_ ," I mumbled, digging my hands into my pockets. I could feel Caleb's eyes on me but refused to look at him. I knew this meant that things were going smoothly with him, however, I didn't like him offering to treat me to popcorn when his ex-girlfriend stood right next to me.

She didn't say anything though and Reid's presence quickly stopped any other line of questioning. He put one arm around each of us and directed us away from the guys and towards the theater listed on our tickets.

"Don't worry about it, ladies. Danvers and Baby Boy are covering my end of the bill too."

"No we aren't!" Tyler shouted with a laugh.

Reid raised his gloved hand off my shoulder and flipped him the bird.

It felt good having Sarah around the group again. She managed to suck up her pride and joined me in the library one night. I hadn't expected her to corner me, but a simple request to share the table had still surprised me considering that there were a few empty ones scattered throughout the room. I think I was more stunned with the fact that she held out for so long. I almost forgot why we weren't talking in the first place.

"I'm sorry for avoiding you, lately," she said, placing her books down onto the table. Her cheeks blushed pink in shame as she hung her head like a child who had just been scolded. "You were right. It's stupid of me to even consider dropping my goals just because of a few uncomfortable situations. I worked my ass off to get in here and I-I don't know. I think I'm more worried about my applications and with the growing pressures of college and finals that I was putting my blame onto Caleb being the only thing bothering me."

I bit my lip and waited for her to continue. I knew she had more to say and that it was going to start moving over to ex-boyfriend territory.

"It wasn't even that bad of a break up, to be honest. _I'm_ the one that ended it."

"May I ask why?" I quietly inquired, trying not to be too aggressive with my line of questioning. If I could gain information then maybe it would make Chase happy and get him out of his current funk.

She suddenly looked pain and shook her head. "We…we're just too different is all. He has a family history and I wasn't ready to take it all on."

"I heard his dad passed recently," I probed even though I had a good idea already as to what she meant as 'family history.'

"Yeah, last year. But that's not…it doesn't matter. Caleb's a great guy, honestly. I guess I'm just lonely. I had been happy with him but it had all been too much and now I don't know. I think I just miss him."

 _Oh shit. What am I doing? Maybe it's a good idea if she leaves after all._

"You guys are good friends though, right? You still get to see him. At least you didn't cut him off completely."

"I suppose you're right," she smiled, leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed over her chest. "I'm just being silly. Anyways, I wanted to say thank you—and apologize, obviously. It was wrong of me to be upset with you when you were only trying to help and I shouldn't have been so angry with Caleb either. Kate's been talking my ear off trying to get me to listen and I guess it's taken this long for me to actually go along with her advice."

"Let's hope you never have a grudge against me, you'd probably hold onto it for centuries."

Sarah laughed making her ponytail swish back and forth delicately, "Probably."

The blonde haired girl sitting beside me was beautiful. She had the perfect smile, a bubbly laugh, an intellectual mind, and relatively sweet personality. It's no wonder that Caleb fell head over heels for her. How was I supposed to compete with that? Sarah was the vision of light and everything that is supposed to good, whereas I'm surrounded in my cloud of darkness. What could I possibly offer him other than to serve him up on a platter to Chase? Everything I told him was manipulated to suit my needs. I could never tell him the truth about me, of my past, of my life, or even my name (my first name really is Amelia but "Blackwood" is something that I made up).

 _It's all pretend_ , I reminded myself. It doesn't matter that I'm a piece of shit. It doesn't matter that Sarah forgave me and was now offering me her friendship. None of it matters.

I just have to go along with the plan.

* * *

 _Author's Note: Phew! As I'm sure you can tell, there were some pretty heavy Sebastian Stan influences for this chapter. Don't worry! We'll be seeing more of Caleb in the next one. Amelia's making some pretty bad decisions so let's hope they don't come back to bite her in the butt later. Please tell me your thoughts on what you think of this so far and what some of your predictions might be. :)_


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